this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2025
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427
China bans compulsory facial recognition and its use in private spaces like hotel rooms (www.theregister.com)
submitted 1 week ago by schizoidman@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] IllNess@infosec.pub 130 points 1 week ago (5 children)

The rules also ban the use of facial recognition equipment in public places such as hotel rooms, public bathrooms, public dressing rooms, and public toilets.

This makes sense.

But this also means private businesses are still allowed to use facial recognition everywhere else you aren't getting naked, lie a hotel lobby.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 10 points 1 week ago

I feel like it should not allow cameras in general.

[–] RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 1 week ago

It's much more convenient to scan your bunghole in the bathroom.

[–] recall519@lemm.ee -1 points 1 week ago

Which is fine. At the end of the day, it's another technology with uses and abuses.

[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 82 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Wow, didn't expect that from China but it sounds like a step in the right direction!

[–] Zetta@mander.xyz 51 points 1 week ago

Me too, although the Chinese government itself will still use this technology extensively

[–] Murvel@lemm.ee 4 points 1 week ago

Yeah, what a consolation... fucking dystopian either way.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

TBF China and Russia are pretty much the only nations actively using widespread facial recognition technology literally everywhere not explicitly banned.

[–] notabot@lemm.ee 42 points 1 week ago (2 children)

The rules also ban the use of facial recognition equipment in public places such as hotel rooms, public bathrooms, public dressing rooms, and public toilets.

Why was there facial recognition, or any other sort of camera, in those places in the first place? Has something been mangled in the translation, is it a fuss about nothing, or were organisations genuinely going "hmm, we need to check your face before you can use the restrooms"?

[–] klu9@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Chinese fintech giant Alipay has for some years now had the "Smile to Pay" system: Alipay users can pay for something by just smiling into the camera in an Alipay "Smile to Pay" POS terminal. IIRC KFC was the first place to have it.

In China, many operators of public toilets seek to prevent theft of toilet paper (I shit you not 😉) by having some kind of rationed dispenser (a certain user can only receive a certain amount of paper in a certain amount of time) or a vending machine.

Public toilet + toilet paper vending machine + "Smile to Pay" = facial recognition in toilets.

In fact, I think a few wanted fugitives have been caught (out?) by the cameras on toilet paper vending machines.

[–] pycorax@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Chinese fintech giant Alipay has for some years now had the "Smile to Pay" system: Alipay users can pay for something by just smiling into the camera in an Alipay "Smile to Pay" POS terminal. IIRC KFC was the first place to have it.

I thought you were kidding but who the hell thought this ridiculous concept was a good idea? Putting aside the security implications, did no one see how absurd it is?

[–] Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Some places in China are so technologically advanced, that every single thing you do is approved, verified and protected by facial recognition. Carrying a wallet/cash, locking doors, encountering traffic, and even petty crime in general are a thing of the past. In exchange, you're monitored at all times by multiple cameras everywhere you go

[–] colonelp4nic@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Do you have more information on this, or a phrase to Google? The idea of zero traffic, zero petty crime sounds incredibly impressive

[–] klu9@lemmy.ca 34 points 1 week ago

Given that the US government has recognized how unprotected technology (like unencrypted messaging) leaves its individual employees vulnerable to Chinese snoopers, I wonder if China is starting to realize just how vulnerable its pervasive unencrypted tech could leave it to US snooping.

[–] singletona@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago

'we don't like it when OTHER people do it. This is Our Thing.'

[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 week ago

Nice!

[–] Tylerdurdon@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

Oh, I see. Another "rules for thee" type thing.

[–] SnortsGarlicPowder@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Hold on. I can put a facial recognition camera in a public bathroom if it's for AI in China. That can't be right

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

IDK what the rules are, but here (Denmark / EU) they are in self checkouts in supermarkets.
So I don't see why hotels and bathrooms shouldn't be able to use it too?

At least China is putting some protection in, and acknowledge there is a line where privacy should be respected.

[–] SnortsGarlicPowder@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I mean any camera in an area where you are either pooping or getting naked is a big no no. I'd be surprised if it wasn't illegal in most countries.

I think I need to get a browser translator plugin that does chinese so I can actually read from the source rather than second hand in an article only.

[–] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They want a monopoly on surveillance lol

[–] anomnom@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 week ago

Not sure why the down votes, other than that I suppose they could have just mandated back doors to all cameras for their own use, and to shut them down whenever desired (like when a party man is in the loo).